Splicing unit



J. UPTON SPLIQING UNIT Sept. 13, '1938.

Filed Aug. 18, 1936 l.' I lili.- l.

Patented Sept. 13, 1938 UNETEB STA'EES PA'fl-SN'I'` OFFICE 10 Claims.

This invention relates broadly to a means and method for repairing piles of the type used in connection with wharves, docks, piers and similar structures.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a means and method whereby a new pile may be spliced to the undamaged portion of a defective pile.

Another object of this invention is to provide means for positioning a quantity of unset cement, concrete or other material about the end of a submerged pile in such a manner that the cement or concrete will not be diluted by the water.

Another object of this invention is to provide a means and method for simultaneously splicing two or more piles which may happen to be so close together that the splicing of the piles individually is impossible. A further object of this invention is to provide a means and method of splicing piles so that the resulting joint will render the repaired pile at least as strong as a new pile with respect to both lateral and vertical loads. i

As the explanation and description of my invention proceeds other objects and advantages will become apparent.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the splicing unit;

Fig. 2 is a cross section of the unit when positioned with relation to the piles about to be spliced;

Fig. 3'is a cross section showing the completed splice after withdrawal of the inner tube;

Fig. 4 shows an annular plate used to prevent dilution of the cement or concrete;

Fig. 5 shows a cover for the upper end of the inner tube used to facilitate iilling the unit with cement or concrete;

Fig. 6 is a horizontal cross section of a larger unit adapted to splice two or more piles simultaneously;

Figs. '7, 8, 9 and 10 are diagrammatic cross sections showing various forms of construction of the inner tube;

Fig. 11 shows means on the inner tube whereby the cement or concrete may be disturbed as the inner tube is withdrawn; Y

Fig. 12 shows a modified type of spreader which may be used for withdrawing the inner tube.

In certain coastal waters of the United States and Canada the piling that is commonly used to support bridges, wharves, docks, piers and other structure built over water is at present being seriously damaged by small marine amphipod crustacea which eat awa: the wood to such an (Cl. til-63) I extent that the piles are soon unt to support the loads they were intended to carry. The damage usually takes place above the mud line and below low water.

When it has been found necessary to replace a 5 pile one of the previous practices has been to saw the pile ofi atv about the mud line or just below the damaged portion, place a metal sleeve about the stump and thereafter insert a new pile within the sleeve to rest' upon the stump. The space between the sleeve and the piles, how'- ever, could not rea-dily be filled with any material with a result that the repaired pile had but little lateral strength and because of uneven bearing surfaces between the piles the vertical load was 15 not well distributed.

In other instances no attempt has been made `to repair the pile, a new pile being driven into the bottom alongside of the damaged one. This method is only practical in situationsywhere a 2U pile driver can be used. As far as I am aware no practical metho-d of repairing pilesunder a dock is known other than that disclosed in the co-pending application of Parks and Upton, Serial No. 49,170and one of the purposes of this invention is to fill such need.

Heretofore attempts have been made tosplice piles under water by means of concrete or cement surrounding the abutting ends but such efforts have failed because no apparatus has been available for preventing dilution of the cement or` concrete, which is essential if the joint is to be strong.

By my invention I am enabled to position a quantity of concrete mix about the upstanding 35 stub of an old pile and the abutting lower end of the new pile and at the same time to provide steel reenforcements within the cement or concrete which when set provides a joint strong enough to render the repaired pile as good as a new one.

Referring to Fig. 1 my invention consists of an outer shell 2, which may be cylindrical, having an annular bottom Il as shown in Fig. 2. Bottom l! has an upturned ange 5 around its inner edge. The centrally located hole in the bottom' is of suiiicient size to pass over the stub of the pile it is desired to repair. At the upper end of the shell 2 are hooks 6 by which the shell may be suspended from a spider 8.or any other convenient suspension means.

A tube I0, approximately the same length as the shell 2, is positioned within the shell concentric thereto and rests on the bottom 4, its position maintained by flange 5, as shown in Fig. 2. This tube I0 is preferably made of two or more pieces, such construction being shown diagrammatically in Figs. 7 and 8. In Fig. 7 strips I2, extending longitudinally of the tube and welded or otherwise secured thereto, provide channels for the reception of the edge of the other half of the tube. It is apparent that a construction of this sort will withstand compressive forces but at the same time will permit the tube to separate readily into its component parts.

Another construction of the tube is shown in Fig. 8 in which one edge of each half is doubled back upon itself to form the longitudinally extending channels I4 for the reception of the cooperating edge of the other half of the tube.

Another form of tube is shown in Fig. 9 in which the tube is made of one piece but severedv longitudinally so that it may be spread outwardly if necessary. Still another form is shown in Fig. 10 in which the tube is a cylinder.

At the upper end of tube I0 are hooks I 6 which are for a purpose to be hereinafter described. Where the tube is composed of two or more sections there will be at least one hook on each section. Where the tube is composed of one piece as in Figs. 9 and 10 two hooks have been found suflicient if positioned diametrically opposite.

In the space between shell 2 and the tube I0 is a reenforcing member which may take any convenient form. As shown it consists of a helical metal rod I8 resting on the bottom 4 and having for further strength the vertical rods 2U wired thereto.

'Ihe lower edge of the tube I0 may be formed as shown in Fig. 11 in which short longitudinal slots 22 have been cut from the lower edge of the tube and the metal on one side of the slot bent outwardly to form projections 24. The purpose of this construction will appear as the description proceeds.

In Fig. 3 is shown a Wishbone or spreader 26 which by means of suitable connections may be attached to the hook I6 of the tube I0. This Wishbone and connecting mechanism serves as convenient means for withdrawing the tube l0 from the shell 2.

A modied form of Wishbone or spreader for connection with tube I0 is shown in Fig. 12 and designated by the number 28. Wishbones 26 and 28 are preferably made of such strength that they will maintain their form regardless of the upward pull that it may be necessary to exert to remove tube I0 from shell 2. Y

As can be seen from Fig. 2 the shell 2 in conjunction with tube I0 is adapted to contain cement or concrete mix which is designated as v3II. In order to conveniently introduce the concrete mix 30 into the shell 2 I have found it desirable to cover the upper end of tube I0 with a cap 32 shown in Fig. 5 which may be conical or any other desirable shape. By this means concrete when allowed to flow on the cap 32 will automatically drop Yinto space between shell 2 and tube I0.

As my unit, when lled with concrete, must be lowered into the water to make the splice, I posi- Vtion the annular plate 34 shown in Fig. 4, on top of the concrete as shown in Fig. 2. This plate, which may be'made of one or more pieces, substantially closes the space between the shell 2 and the tube I0 to prevent dilution of the mix. As shown in Fig. 4, it is made in two pieces so that it may be removed after the new pile is in position.

Fig. 6 shows a modied form of my invention in which the shell 36 is generally elliptical or oval in cross section. The tube 38 following the general configuration of the shell 36 is likewise generally elliptical or oval and is composed of a plurality of sections, each section having at least one hook similar to hook I6 to facilitate removal of tube 38 from the shell 36. The size of shell 36 and tube 38, when in the form shown in Fig. 6, is determined by the number of piles this form of unit is to surround and splice. The reenforcements 40 and 42 may be of the same character as those shown in Figs. 2 and 4.

The method of splicing piles by the use of my device is as follows. A diver descends to the bottom and saws off the damaged pile just below the damaged portion which will usually be at a point close to the'mud line. The defective upper portion of the pile is then removed. The diver with the aid of a suitable implement scrapes away the mud surrounding the stub 44 of the pile until he strikes reasonably solid bottom. When this is accomplished the stub of the pile should extend roughly two diameters above the bottom. It may extend more of course but in such cases the length of my splicing unit must be increased accordingly as it has been found that a good splice cannot be effected unless a length of pile equal to two diameters on each of the members to vbe spliced is held within the splicing unit.

After the stub 44 has been suitably prepared as set forth above my unit while above the water is lled with concrete mix which is then covered with the plate 34. The unit is then slowly lowered into the water and guided by the diver until it rests on the bottom surrounding the stub 44 of the old pile. The unit will then be in position shown in Fig.y 2 with the exception that the new pile will not as yet have been inserted. With the unit in the position shown in Fig. 2 the spider 8 is unhooked and withdrawn leaving the unit resting on the bottom.

A new pile 46 a few inches shorter than the distance between the top of the stub and the bottom of the structure to be supported is then lowered into the water. As the new pile in most cases will have been heavily creosoted its specific gravity will be greater than one and hence having no buoyancy may be readily lowered in a generally vertical position until its lower end reaches the position shown in Fig. 2 to rest on the end of stub 44 within tube I0. The upper end of the pile is swung laterally until it is under the structure 48 which it is intended to support. If there is any clearance between the upper end of the pile 46 and the structure 48, this may be taken up by the use of suitable wedges.

The next step is to remove the tube I0'. This `wardly leaving the shell 2 and the unset con-` crete 30 along with the reenforcements I8 and '20 behind. The concrete, still being in a fluid condition, collapses inwardly to ll the space that was formerly between the piles and tube I0. This condition is illustrated in Fig. 3. The small amount of water that was present between tube I0 and the piles is forced upwardly and out by virtueV of the concrete collapsing to pack itsel about the piles as the tube IU is removed and hence any undesirable dilution of the concrete is avoided.

When the tube I 0 is clear of the shell 2 it may, if made according to the construction shown in Figs. 7 and 8 be removed from the pile as the two halves will readily separate. On the other hand,

if the construction of Fig. 9 or 10 is used, the tube HI is permitted to remain on that portion of pile 46 above the splice.

To insure that the concrete may collapse readily to assume the position shown in Fig. 3 the flaring projections 24 shown in Fig. 11 are provided. These points score the concrete as tube l is withdrawn and in this way the concrete is sufficiently disturbed so ,that it will readily settle to the iinal desired position.

It is not necessary that the ends of the abutting piles make contact throughout as the lateral pressure of the concrete will cause a sulicient amount of concrete to work its way into any space between the abutting ends as shown in Fig. 3. In this way the vertical load is distributed.

'After the concrete has set a very strong reenforced splice is formed and tests have shown that this type of joint offers more resistance to bending stresses than that-provided by a new pile.

In some cases as where two or more piles have been driven into the bottom close together so that there is insucient room about each pile to introduce a splicing unit of the type shown in Fig. 1, I have found it possible to make a satisfactory double or multiple splice by the unit shown in section in Fig. 6. In this case the diver saws oi the two. adjacent piles at approximately the same level below the damaged portion. The mud adjacent the two piles is scraped away in the manner heretofore described. The large unit shown in Fig. 6 is then filled with concrete in the space between shell 36 and tube 38 and lowered over the two adjacent stub ends. Thereafter two new piles are positioned on top of the two stubs, each of the new piles being wedged or otherwise secured in position.

The tube 38 surrounding the two new piles is then drawn upwardly by means of a suitable Wishbone or spreader connected to the several sections so that the concrete in the unit may ll the space 50 between the piles.

Because of the additional space to be filled when splicing two or more piles simultaneously, the unit must be made of suicient length to hold enough concrete so that when the concrete has settled to fill space 50 the extent of the engagement of the concrete with the abutting ends will be preferably at least two diameters on each end.

From the foregoing disclosure it is obvious that I have provided an ecient means for splicing the ends of abutting piles under water. While my splicing unit is used primarily for the repair of wooden piles it is apparent that it may also be used for successfully repairing piles or any columnar support of any material whether they be steel, concrete or otherwise. My unit is simple and economical to make and can be operated by relatively unskilled help. It is contemplated that various changes as to shape and dimensions may be made in my apparatus without falling outside the scope of my invention and I wish it to be distinctly understood that while I have shown specific and preferred forms of my invention, I do not intend to be limited thereby but only by the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A container adapted to hold material such as unset concrete comprising a vertically extending shell having a bottom with a substantial centrally located opening therethrough, a tube within and substantially concentric with said shell, the diameter of said tube being but slightly greater than the diameter of said opening, said tube standing on said bottom and surrounding said opening, said tube divided lengthwise into a plurality of separable parts held in position by interengaging means, said means positioned so as not to obstruct the interior of said tube.

2. A device for positioning a quantity of cementitious material under water about a pile without undue dilution, comprising a shell having a bottom with a hole therethrough, a tube having an unobstructed passage therethrough but slightly larger than said hole and standing on end within said shell, the bottom-end of said tube surrounding said opening, means adapted to rest on the top of said cementitious material when s-aid device is filled to substantially close the space between said shell and tube and means for withdrawing said tube from said shell when said concrete filled device has been positioned about said pile.

3. A container ycomprising an outer shell, a bottom associated therewith and having a substantial opening therethrough, a removable tube standing on end on said bottom and surrounding said opening to form a space between said shell and tube adapted to receive a cementitious material, and means for disturbing said cementitious material when said tube is withdrawn from said shell.

4. A container for positioning material about a pile comprising an outer shell, elongated in cross section, a bottom associated therewith and having a centrally located elongated opening therethrough, an inner tube having the same new pile within said container in said opening and in substantial co-aXial and abutting relationship with said undamaged portion, and thereafter withdrawing said removable side from said container before said material has set.

6. A container for fluid material comprising an outer shell, an annular bottom therefor, partially closing one end, and a removable, selfsupporting, imperforate tube positioned within said shell on said bottom substantially co-aXially of said shell, the diameter of said tube being but slightly greater than the diameter of the opening in said'annular bottom, s-aid tube presenting an unobstructed passage therethrough.

7. Means for positioning a quantity of concrete mix about a pile comprising a container with an annular bottom and having an unobstructed vertical passage therethrough, said container having a removable inner wall slightly greater in diameter than the opening in said bottom, whereby said mix may be caused to collapse to ll the original space between said inner wall and said pile.

8. I'he method of splicing abutting piles which comprises the steps of positioning a cylinder of unset concrete held within inner and outer retaining walls about the end of a pile while keeping said concrete apart from said pile, positioning a second pile within said cylinder of concrete in abutting relation to said iirst pile While keeping said concrete apart from said second pile, and then removing the inner retaining wall to permit said unset concrete to collapse to engage both piles, and finally completing the splice by allowing said concrete to set in engaging relation with said both piles.

9. The method of splicing columns end to end which comprises the steps of positioning a cylinder of unset material contained within an outer tubular and a removable inner tubular wall about the end of one of said columns, positioning the end of the other of said columns within said inner tubular wall While one end of the latter is still positioned about the first of said column ends, and thereafter withdrawing the removable inner tubular wall to a point beyond therjuncture of said columns so that material may slump about said ends, and then allowing said material to set.

10. The method of splicing columns end to end which comprises the steps of positioning a cylinder of unset concrete contained Within outer and inner walls about the end of one of said columns, positioning the end of the other of said columns within said inner wall while the lower end of the latter is below the juncture of said column ends, and thereafter 'withdrawing the inner Wall to a. point above said juncture so that the concrete may slump about said ends, and then allowing said concrete to set.

JOHN UPION.

s CERTIFICATE OE CORRECTION. v Patent Nm 2,I5O,OLI7 september 15,1958.

' s JOHN UPTOIL.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiing correction as follows: vPage )4., second column, lines 7, lh and l5, and that the said Letters Patent should be'read with this correction therein that the same may Conform to the record oi the oase in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 15th day of November, A. D. 1958..l l

claim lO 'for the word "concrete" read material;

Henry van Arsdale v (Seal) Acting; Commissioner of Patents. 

